The international standards of single window system for the foreign trade

Abstract

The present article provides the judicial review of the international standards on the building of the Single Window system for customs as the effective means of trade facilitation. The emphasis is placed on the instruments drafted within frameworks of three basic rule-making centres in the field, which are represented by the World Trade Organization, the World Customs Organization and the UN European Economic Commission. While the primary international instruments, like WCO Kyoto Convention or WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement merely provides general standards for efficient implementation of automated customs clearance, the much more expeditionary guidance for building up a Single Window can be retrieved from a soft law sources. The latter in forms of recommendations and best practices are typically generated by the WCO and UN/CEFACT. The possible types of the Single Window system are characterized with respect to the integration stages of the specific functions of different state agencies and the involving of private entities. The typology includes such forms as: paperless customs, Regulatory Single Window, Port Single Window, Fully Integrated Single Window, Cross-Border Single Window Exchange Platform. The interconnection between Single Window technologies and reform of customs and border procedures is equally determined. Expressly the implementation of Single Window has implications both for internal and external procedures of border authorities that include initiating the transformation of internal decision-making processes and promotion of external integration of the various public authorities responsible for border management.

Keywords

• customs formalities
• customs procedures
• trade facilitation
• interna-tional standards
• customs service
• Single Window
• e-customs.